


You're Broken (Words that Hurt Me)

by funkietowns



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 19:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funkietowns/pseuds/funkietowns
Summary: His mind, hazy, his eyes, foggy, injuries painfully prominent. His body ached and his limbs pulsed. He could feel his ears thrumming, his head pounding, his lungs wheezing for more oxygen, and for a second, nothing.It wasn’t until a fraction of static buzzed against his ear.





	You're Broken (Words that Hurt Me)

**Author's Note:**

> Precisely VLD S2 EP1, only with implied feelings, or whatever you want to make of it.

This was it.

He realized it now, as he leaned the small of his back against large rocks to rest upon, the pain inflicted upon his exhausted body giving him an idea of how real this situation was. Shiro groaned because it hurt. A lot of things did—make him hurt, anyway. Like how he hadn’t seen his family in what felt like years, the warmth of his mother’s hugs which were what he missed the most. Or how he hadn’t gotten the chance to connect with anyone here in outer space—not entirely, anyway. And it hurt, to know that his last few hours were going to be spent like this, like him being unable to bear excruciating pain that was surely beginning to take over his being. Like he was the loneliest person in the entire universe.

So this, this was it.

He hated it, how alone he’d never felt until this particular moment. He never thought it’d get to this, really. Shiro always thought he’d get to the end of the Galra Empire along with the rest of his team, but of course the odds were certainly against him, specifically now as he was faced with a handful of lizard-monsters. Whatever they were, they had attacked him upon sight, and chased Shiro up until the moment he could find a hiding space. The small cave he’d just fallen into was a perfect fit for a human. In his time of being out in space, free, if anything, the one thing he did know was that humans would never survive being out here even for a tick, at least not with heavy armor, and the will to keep fighting back. But he… he was different. Somehow, and for the nth time, he’d managed to save his own life for the time being, but it wasn’t enough. He wouldn’t last too long out here, especially now that the creatures were beginning to dig already. Keith had yet to arrive and be his knight in shining armor as always, but what the hell was taking him so long?

_Long breaths._

He felt like the air in his lungs was abandoning him completely, and Keith, he was nowhere to be seen or heard. His connection failed miserably, and each time he even as to muttered his name, all Shiro heard from the other end was dead silence.

_Was this really it_?

It dawned at him, and it was probably what hurt the most. He wouldn’t take it, he would never be able to live with himself knowing that Keith could be hurt trying to rescue him, or worse yet, dead. He had hopes that his teammate would make it, high for sure because if there was one thing he’d learned about Keith during the time they’d been fighting side by side, it was that Keith didn’t believe in giving up or bullshitting anything whatsoever. It aspired Shiro, like some newfound belief in himself that if he could do better, try harder, that Keith would learn from him and do better things than he could have ever. It might have been this kind of thinking that slowly, but surely lead him to a delirium in which he couldn’t even get himself ahold of. His mind, hazy, his eyes, foggy, injuries painfully prominent. His body ached and his limbs pulsed. He could feel his ears thrumming, his head pounding, his lungs wheezing for more oxygen, and for a second, nothing.

It wasn’t until a fraction of static buzzed against his ear. Shiro wildly shook his head to liven up, and he opened his eyes. He panicked, of course, thinking he had been caught by some Galra soldier again, but most days were like that. Sweet reveries, they were long gone once he’d become their prisoner—he only remembered bits and pieces of his time captured, but what he did keep stored in his memories, what little information poured out of him unbidden, it was enough to last a lifetime of pain and trauma. Only once the wound on his side began to burn did he come to his senses once more.

“Keith, where are you?” He questioned in a hurried manner, despair and annoyance both in his tone. Truth be told, he was frightened. But he was a soldier, and he would never admit that.

Keith’s voice came loud and clear. “Almost there, Shiro. I think I see an entrance and-  _oh_.” Keith paused as he took note of the creatures attempting to dig their way into the hole he’d once spotted. He could hear Shiro’s voice again, asking him if something was wrong, but Keith merely concentrated on the number of creatures he’d have to take out. It took him no longer than a tick before he was charging at them with full speed, attacking the monsters that Shiro had been hiding from.

Keith was confident, at first drawing his bayard out as it formed into a sword, and attacked the lizards with vigor despite how broken he felt all over. Sure he was fast, but was he as strong as them? He was incompetent, soon being thrown into piles and piles of pebbles. Keith groaned as he got up, and pounced forward, using the ability to hover over them with his jetpack throughout his combat, and in seconds even that proved to be a hassle. Only then did Keith coming to a realization that one human wasn’t compatible to fighting numerous of these deadly creatures. He gave it no further thought, and immediately, he rushed towards Shiro’s Black Lion, to which he pleaded help assuming the lion would actually understand him.

He hoped it wouldn’t take longer than a dobash, and the only thing that worried Keith about the Black Lion was that it hadn’t rescued Shiro from the very beginning. Had it been Keith, Red wouldn’t have allowed anything to touch a single hair on his head, her overprotectiveness of him coming in handy in times of true despair. Granted, he knew Shiro and the Black Lion weren’t tightly bonded as he and Red, but even so, he stood before the biggest lion of them all, urging it to help his friend.

What he hadn’t expected was the Black Lion opening up to Keith. With it’s mechanical jaw wide open, Keith confusedly peered in, but soon took hurried steps inside. A chair in the center of the cat-like ship automatically reversed itself for Keith to sit in, and once he did, he was instantly up front Shiro’s battleship. It was more spacious, and safe. He had never been in any of the other lions aside from Red—it was something amazing, and at the same time nothing Keith would have expected out of ordinary. What was left unsaid was his shock and subtle concern with how easily the Black Lion had let him in. For that, he was grateful. And just like that, as if the mechanical lion had read Keith’s mind, it lifted itself in a stoic, statue like position, and roared proudly, for Keith had awoken something in it: empathy. And Keith, he came to understand that, too.

“No way,” he breathed out in amazement.

It wasn’t long before the Black Lion, and Keith, worked hand in hand to protect Shiro. Those same lizards who once terrified a Paladin of Voltron now one by one now fearfully scurried off in order to preserve their own lives. The Black Lion on his own, as he roared and whipped its tail, had easily knocked out two of the creatures. Keith watched from the chair without having to move a single finger afterwards, very well knowing that all it would have really taken was the Black Lion’s roar itself to scare away any real danger. It had outdone itself, and saved Shiro all in one. In a heartbeat, the Black Lion returned to its position, stoic and unmoving as before, like a statue whose eyes merely wandered the expanse that it could until his owner stood before it to give it commands.

Soon enough, Keith rushed out of the lion and hurriedly made his way towards the cave where Shiro had been trapped, moving away any rocks so that the Paladin could finally escape.

“Are you okay?” He asked, concern evident in the way he eyed Shiro, instantly noting the hand which covered his growing wound. He wasn’t, Keith knew that, but he needed to hear  _something_ from him. The man only chuckled, albeit bitterly and painfully so. He took Keith’s hand in his, and was carefully lifted from the ground.

“Well, I did fall from the sky at an alarming rate and I was attacked by giant lizards, not to mention this purple glowing scratch, so... I mean I’ve felt better.”

“Yeah, you’ve looked better.”

“Thanks.” He joked, in hopes of lightening the mood

“I’m sorry I took so long.” Keith wrapped his arm around Shiro’s waist, helping him walk closer to the Black Lion.

“Don’t be, I’m just glad you’re here and you’re just as alive.”

They shared silence as they finally come to a stop in front of Shiro’s lion, and Keith helped him to sit against one of the smoother boulders so he could rest properly, at least enough until they would have to go inside.

“This is unbelievable.” He muttered, something of a curse slipping past his lips, and Shiro wasn’t one to curse, at least not often, but here he was. Shiro cursing, Shiro hurting, Shiro breaking down.

_What is_? The question bubbled up in Keith’s throat as he sat next to the man in order to rest for a moment. He wanted to ask but he knew, and he wanted to make Shiro feel better, but Keith knew there was no way he could. He didn’t have healing powers, he couldn’t power up a wormhole to leave this place, he didn’t know if Red was currently alive, hell he wasn’t even sure if they would make it back to the others before the night ended. It all seemed hopeless.

“Stuck in this godforsaken planet as my insides are probably bleeding. Fuck, this is all my fault.”

“Don’t. Don’t blame yourself.”

Keith’s hand rested on Shiro’s back, and he cautiously rubbed it in attempts to calm him. He could already see tears forming, his eyes welling, and Keith was certain that Shiro had never gotten to this point.

“It really is, and I’m gonna die here and leave you—Keith, if I die here, if you’re left alone…” he paused, but only because Keith’s movements had come to a halt and he was now looking at Shiro dead in the eye.

“Shiro don’t. Please don’t talk like that.”

And he couldn’t help it.

“I just want you to know I’m so lucky that it was you six who I was destined to save this universe with. Well, try to anyway.” He smiled, but it was soft and weak and his eyes were now drooping, and he looked  _broken_ . He  _was_ broken. Keith’s hand made its way towards the one Shiro used to cover his wound, hoping it would help if he applied pressure.

“You’re gonna make it.” He said reassuringly. He wanted to believe it, too.

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t, but for fuck’s sake can you at least pretend we’ll be okay?”

Shiro’s eyes flickered to Keith’s when he heard his voice strain, as if he was close to yelling, or choking on a sob. Either or, Shiro took in a quick breath before he nodded. His smile was more sincere now.

“Can you at least hear me out?”

Silence enveloped them for a moment, Keith mentally debating on telling him to just shut up and rest, or simply covering his mouth so he’d stop talking. He simply nodded, his thinking only done in vain.

“Keith... If I don’t make it, I want you to lead Voltron.”

It might've been the way Shiro said it, or perhaps the cool air that prickled against Keith’s skin which sent all sorts of wrong auras through his body. He was speechless, they both were for a while, but Keith, he didn’t know if he wanted to reject Shiro’s offer—if it even was one—or accept it  _if_ things ever got to that point. He didn’t think he could do it, and quite frankly, if he’d ever want to to begin with. Doing so, leading Voltron… to Keith, it would mean losing Shiro, the only person who for so long had believed in him and dealt with him. It would be void, and the weight of the universe’s safety on his shoulders all at once, something that in the moment he could not even begin to wrap his head around. Losing Shiro would be like losing his own universe, and with it, himself, and he simply wouldn’t have that.

“I know what you’re thinking. But if things ever get that bad, Keith, you’re the only one who can step up. I’ve seen what you can do, your progress and determination-”

“Shiro,” Keith took in a deep breath, wanting him to stop.

“You can do this, I know you won’t disappoint anyone. You wouldn’t disappoint me. I believe in you.”

“Stop,”

“ _Keith_ -”

“No! You’re hurt, you’re tired, and- and you’re  _broken_ -  _I know_ , but god, stop saying stupid things.” Tears flooded Keith’s vision and Shiro’s eyes softened. He knew. “You’re gonna be okay, we’re gonna be okay. You’re not going anywhere, and Voltron would never be Voltron without you so don’t you dare leave us. Don’t you dare leave  _me_.”

He could see it now. This, Keith crying and pulling away from him, it was what hurt Shiro the most. He felt a familiar pain in his chest, only this time it was a million times worse and Shiro wasn’t sure if he could turn it off or not.

“Keith.” He stood as Keith did so, a groan leaving his lips as he clutched tightly onto his side, the pain having subsiding slightly as his heart urged to take the constant hits now.

Earnestly, he had never thought his words would emit such a reaction from the younger male, but Keith was hiding his face in his hands. It seemed as if he was hyperventilating and sobbing all at once, and it hurt Shiro more than any other physical blow ever had. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around Keith as best as he could, pulling him closer until he could feel Keith’s body trembling in what he thought might be a breakdown. And he whispered _I’m sorry_ , over and over again,  _I won’t leave you, I promise_ , until it was apparent that Keith was more stable. Until even he believed it.

“We’re gonna be okay.”

Shiro’s voice was uncertain, but Keith didn’t question it when the warmth of his leader enveloped him in a type of comfort that was much needed. He nodded, slowly, and they waited for the others, because waiting was all they could do.

 

Pidge and the rest of the team would be here any minute now.


End file.
